Bordeaux is one of the most prestigious wine regions in the world.
The major reason for the success of winemaking in the Bordeaux region is the excellent environment for growing vines. The geological foundation of the region is limestone, leading to a soil structure that is heavy in calcium. The Gironde estuary dominates the regions along with its tributaries, the Garonne and the Dordogne rivers, and together irrigate the land and provide with an Atlantic Climate, oceanic climate for the region.
These rivers define the main geographical subdivisions of the region:
"The right bank", situated on the right bank of Dordogne, in the northern parts of the region, around the city of Libourne.
"The left bank", situated on the left bank of Garonne, in the west and south of the region, around the city of Bordeaux itself. The left bank is further subdivided into Graves and Medoc.
As a very broad generalization, Cabernet Sauvignon (Bordeaux’s second-most planted grape variety) dominates the blend in red wines produced in the Médoc and the rest of the left bank of the Gironde estuary. Typical top-quality Chateaux blends are 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc & 15% Merlot. Merlot (Bordeaux’s most-planted grape variety) and to a lesser extent Cabernet Franc (Third most planted variety) tend to predominate in Saint Emilion, Pomerol and the other right bank appellations. These Right Bank blends from top-quality Chateaux are typically 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc & 15% Cabernet Sauvignon.
The 57 Appellation d´;Origine Controlee from Bordeaux are a completely unique variety of wines.
In 1935 numerous laws were passed to control the quality of French wine. They established the Appellation d´Origine Contrôlée system, which is governed by a powerful oversight board (Institut National des Appellations d’Origine - INAO). Consequently, France has one of the oldest systems for protected designation of origin for wine in the world, and strict laws concerning winemaking and production.
French law divides wine into four categories:
Vin de Table (VDT): Carries with it only the producer and the designation that it is from France.
Vin de Pays (VDP): Carries with it a specific region within France, and subject to less restrictive regulations than AOC wines. For instance, it allows producers to distinguish wines that are made using grape varieties or procedures other than those required by the AOC rules, without having to use the simple and commercially non-viable table wine classification. In order to maintain a distinction from Vin de Table, the producers have to submit the wine for analysis and tasting, and the wines have to be made from certain varieties or blends.
Vin Délimité de Qualité Superieure (VDQS): Less strict than AOC, usually used for smaller areas or as a "waiting room" for potential AOCs.
Appellation d´Origine Contrôlée (AOC): Wine from a particular area with many other restrictions, including grape varieties and winemaking methods.
提起葡萄酒就想到法國，提起法國的葡萄酒，一定是首先想到波爾多，這是全世界最重要的葡萄酒產區。法國因有著最優越的條件，葡萄品種、氣候、土壤、濕度、葡萄酒管理和釀酒技術，成就了“葡萄酒王國”的地位。
左岸，右岸的著名產區:
吉隆河(Gironde) 把波爾多分為左岸和右岸，一河之差，兩岸的風格截然不同。
左岸有著波爾多最有名氣的梅多克區，有著波爾多的五大名莊。 Chateau Haut Brion(紅顏容莊)，Chateau Latour(拉圖莊)，Chateau Lafite-Rothschild(拉菲莊)，Chateau Margaux(瑪歌莊)，Chateau Mouton Rothschild(武當王莊) 共享波爾多官方評鑒的一等頂級酒。因此左岸總是充滿著一種古典貴族的氣息，所產的葡萄酒也更加嚴謹復雜，葡萄品種以赤霞珠(Cabernet Sauvignon) 為主。
右岸的著名產區是主要有圣埃米利永(St-Emilion) 和波美候(Pomerol)，燦爛的名莊有白馬莊(Chateau Cheval Blanc)，歐頌莊(Chateau Ausone) 和波爾多最貴的酒王之王 -- 柏圖斯(Petrus) ，還有不少的新秀， 其價值和品質甚至超越傳統名莊，例如里鵬(Le Pin)、拉夢多(La Mondotte)、華倫卓(Valandraud)等。與左岸的城堡莊園相比，右岸的酒莊多是一些鄉間小別墅型的小酒莊，規模遠不及左岸，但同時也充滿了個性和人情，所產的葡萄酒比較溫柔優雅，葡萄品種以梅樂(Merlot) 為主。
法國葡萄酒級別：
日常餐酒 VIN DE TABLE (意思 Wine of the table) 是最低檔的葡萄酒，作日常飲用。可以由不同地區的葡萄汁勾兌而成，如果葡萄汁限于法國各產區，可稱法國日常餐酒。
地區餐酒 VIN DE PAYS (意思Wine of the Country) 日常餐酒中最好的酒被升級為地區餐酒。地區餐酒的標簽上可以標明產區。可以用標明產區內的葡萄汁勾兌，但僅限于該產區內的葡萄。
優良地區餐酒 VDQS 是普通地區餐酒向AOC級別過渡所必須經歷的級別。如果在VDQS 時期酒質表現良好，則會升級為AOC。
法定產區葡萄酒 AOC 是法國葡萄酒最高級別AOC在法文意思為“原產地控制命名”。原產地地區的葡萄品種、種植數量、釀造過程、酒精含量等都要得到專家認證。只能用原產地種植的葡萄釀制，絕對不可和別地葡萄汁勾兌。